Telephone service providers typically offer caller identification (“Caller-ID”) as a service to report the telephone number and, optionally, a name of a calling party. Caller-ID provides the called party an opportunity to learn the identity of a calling party before answering a call. This allows a called party to screen calls from particular calling parties. Alternatively, it may alert a called party to answer the current call from a particular person. The Caller-ID service may also allow historical logging of calls. For example, a person may attempt to contact one of her friends and may not leave a voice mail message. With Caller-ID, the called friend may refer to a record of the time and telephone number of the calling friend, and may then return the call, even though the calling friend did not leave a voice mail message. Alternatively, a person may use the historical logging feature to aid in remembering when telephone calls were received or when telephone calls were accepted and the date and time of a particular call took place.
Caller-ID information is delivered to a device coupled to the Public Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”). For example, a dedicated Caller-ID device can be connected to a PSTN line that is shared with a telephone. More complex systems, such as those deployed in business environments may use a local Private Branch Exchange (“PBX”) connected to the PSTN and have Caller-ID displays integrated into the telephone units. Additionally, many wireless telephone service providers use wireless handsets which have integrated Caller-ID display functionality.
Unfortunately, the known systems are limited to delivering Caller-ID information to a specific device. For example, Caller-ID information delivered to a person's business telephone unit does not appear at that person's home. As a result, that person may not learn of a missed call until he returns home from work. Furthermore, the known systems are limited to the PSTN and are incapable of delivering Caller-ID information over a data network. Known systems do not have the ability to obtain Caller-ID information from the PSTN and provide the Caller-ID information to users via a data network, such as the Internet. For example, a person may not receive Caller-ID information at his computer, e.g., in real time.